Descriptions

As GIS becomes more prominent in academic classrooms at all levels of education, the subject of geography and its related disciplines can be approached with a geospatial technology perspective, using new tools and lesson plans. The implementation of Google Earth in classrooms is just one example of this. Research was conducted in eighth grade earth science classrooms, with Google Earth and paper map versions of a Bering Glacier lesson plan, allowing for spatial information to be conveyed in two different ways, while each combatted the spatial weaknesses found in standard middle school curriculum across the nation. With the two-sample t-test analyses of pre-tests, worksheets, and post-tests, limited conclusions about Google Earth compared to traditional paper maps can be made. The results indicate that Google Earth is just as useful as traditional paper maps with this particular lesson in the classroom. With the testing complete, connections can then be inferred beyond middle schools. The conclusions from this research paper can be applied to different levels of education while considering varying factors determining learning of geography: distinct types of learning styles, cartographic influences, and the effects of visual aids on learning.